Starting gardening can be a little confusing with all the terms and phrases. Here are some useful words that you should know:

• ANNUAL: a plant that completes its lifecycle in one growing season, and does not survive the winter. These plants must be planted each year.
• BENEFICIAL INSECT: a valuable insect that helps in the garden by acting as pest control or by pollinating plants
• BIOLOGICAL PEST CONTROL: the use of living organisms, such as beneficial insects, to destroy harmful pests from the garden
• BOLTING: a term used to say that a vegetable plant has started to flower and produce seeds. This will affect the quality of your harvest as most of the plant’s energy is put to flowering and setting the seeds rather than the fruit/leaves
• COLD FRAME: a box-like structure usually covered with plastic or glass. Used to protect plants from frost thereby extending the growing season
• COMPANION PLANTING: the practice of planting two or more plants together for mutual benefit, such as pest control and enhanced crop production
• CROP ROTATION: the practice of growing different types of crops in the same area from one year to the next. This helps to manage soil fertility, improve crop yields, and control diseases and pests
• DAYS TO MATURITY: the number of days between planting and first harvest
• DEAD HEADING: the act of removing dead flower heads to promote further blooming
• DIRECT SOW: sowing seed in the ground where the plant will grow to maturity
• EXPOSURE: the optimum amount of sun or shade each plant needs to thrive
  • FULL SUN: 6 or more hours of direct sun a day
  • PARTIAL SUN/PARTIAL SHADE: 4-6 hours of direct sun a day
  • FULL SHADE: less than 4 hours of direct sun a day
• F1 HYBRID: the first generation offspring created by cross-pollinating two different parent plants. These plants have good uniformity, yield, and vigour. Seeds saved from F1 plants will not produce plants that are true to their parent type
• FERTILIZING: adding nutrients to plants
  • HEAVY FEEDERS: plants that require regular applications of fertilizer for optimal performance
  • LIGHT FEEDERS: plants that do not need regular applications of fertilizer for optimal performance. Often, if these plants are overfed, it will result in toxicity
  • NPK: ratio of Nitrogen to Phosphorous to Potassium in fertilizer
  • SLOW RELEASE FERTILIZER: a pelleted fertilizer that is broken down by soil microbes and release. These microbes will be more active or less active depending on the soil temperature
  • TIME RELEASE FERTILIZER: also known as Controlled Release Fertilizer. These pellets are an improved version of slow release fertilizer. Instead of breaking down and released by microbe action, it is released based on the temperature of the soil.
• FILLER: a plant grown in the middle area of a mixed container to make the container look fuller
• HARDENING OFF: acclimating plants grown under protected areas to cooler conditions outdoors. This is normally done by leaving the plants outside during the day then bringing them undercover at night. This process normally takes a few weeks.
• HABIT: the general structure of the plant
  • CLIMBING: plants that climb up structures by using roots or stems to grip
  • MOUNDING: plants that grow both vertically and horizontally to create a rounded appearance. In general, they will be more wide than tall
  • SPREADING: plants that grow low to the ground and produce roots along the stem
  • TRAILING: plants that grow along the ground or out of pots but do not produce roots along the stem
  • UPRIGHT: plants that grow vertically and is taller than it is wide
• HARDY PLANT: do not need to be raised indoors and can be directly sown into their flowering positions in the garden in spring
• HEIRLOOM: plants grown from seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation. These plants are open-pollinated and will keep the same characteristics as their parents
• INDETERMINATE GROWTH: also known as “vining habit.” Growth that is not genetically pre-determined and does not stop at a certain length. Plants with indeterminate growth will likely need support structures, such as trellises or stakes, to grow against.
• MULCH: a layer organic material that is spread over the soil surface around plants to hold in moisture, help control weeds, and improve soil structure. Materials used for mulching include well-rotted manure, compost, and leaves
• OPEN-POLLINATION: the transfer of pollen between plants by insects, birds, wind, or other natural mechanisms
• OVER–WINTERING: the process keeping non-cold hardy plants alive through the winter by adding winter protection or by bringing indoors
• PERENNIAL: a plant that grows and flowers for years. Some perennials are very long lived and others only survive a few years
• pH: a scale ranging from 0 to 14 that explains the degree of acidity or alkalinity. Soil pH is very important to growing success as it affects the availability of nutrients and the activity of microorganisms. pH can be adjusted using amendments
• PINCHING: the method of pruning a plant to encourage the formation of side shoots resulting in more branching and a bushier growth
• ROOT BOUND: sometimes called Pot Bound. When a plant has been left too long in too small a pot, the developing roots run out of space and will grow in overlapping circles following the inner walls of the pot. This results in a compact, hard ball that retains the shape of the container. If planted this way, the roots will continue to grow in this circular pattern, not spread into the soil, and eventually strangling the plant. Loosen and break up roots to separate them before planting.
• SELF-CLEANING: used to describe plants that drop spent flowers making room for new flowers and keeping the plant looking fresh
• SOIL AMENDMENT: material added to the soil to improve the soil’s properties, such as nutrient content and water retention. Soil amendments are mostly organic matter or very slow release minerals and are typically worked into the topsoil
• SPILLER: a plant planted around the edges of a combination planter that trails out of container
• THIN: removing a number of buds, flowers, seedlings or shoots to improve the growth and quality of those remaining
• THRILLER: a plant that is placed in the centre or back of a combination planter to add drama and height to the combination
• TOPSOIL: the upper layer of soil that you plant in. It varies in depth from place to place but will almost always be less than a foot deep and can be as little as 2 inches deep
• TRANSPLANT: also known as starts. A baby plant that is ready to be planted in the garden
• TRANSPLANTING: moving a plant from one growth medium to another
• VOLUNTEER: a growing plant that is not deliberately planted by the gardener/farmer. These plants are often grown from seeds that have been spread by the wind or birds, or inadvertently mixed into compost.
• XERISCAPING: creating a low maintenance landscape using native plants to reduce water usage